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ISP Starting Holiday Patrols This Weekend

Last updated on Friday, November 8, 2013

(UNDATED) - In an effort to make the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday travel period safer, the Indiana State Police will be joining approximately 250 other law enforcement agencies statewide in participating in the annual Safe Family Travel campaign.

Beginning Friday, November 8th and running through Sunday, December 1 the Indiana State Police will be conducting high visibility enforcement efforts including sobriety check points and saturation patrols targeting impaired drivers and unrestrained motorists.

In 2012, alcohol-impaired driving in Indiana was linked to 150 fatalities (increase from 140 fatalities in 2011) and 2,112 injuries. Alcohol-impaired collisions were less than 3 percent of all Indiana crashes, but accounted for 20.3 percent of Indiana 779 traffic fatalities in 2012.

Roughly six out of ten fatalities in alcohol-impaired collisions were the impaired driver from 2008 to 2012. Approximately 80 percent of serious fatal and incapacitating injuries from alcohol-impaired collisions occurring during the 2008-2012 period were suffered by impaired drivers and their passengers.

Please help do you part to make the Thanksgiving Holiday travel period safe by observing the following safety rules:

* If you are planning to travel make sure you are well rested, a fatigued driver is a dangerous driver

* Avoid tailgating; remember the two-second rule

* Make sure everyone is buckled up

* Put down the electronic devices and drive

* DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE

* MOVE OVER - SLOW DOWN for emergency and highway service vehicles

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